Somebody Had to Start the UTEP Gamethread

[Deleted User 863]

We don't need Dajaun to score. We score plenty without him. He played very good defense, and didn't get sucked in to taking bad shots on offense even when left wide open.

Remy didn't try to score very much. In fact he actively passed up looks to try to get other people looks. Still trying to fit in, but he’s understanding our offense much more now. After Christmas break i expect him to look fully comfortable and start having some bigger games.

JW didn't suck, but he wasn't very good. He will snap out of it.

Dave was spazzy, but still decent, especially on the interior on defense.

[Deleted User 863]

And next year we might be back to 2 bigs. KJ and Clemence look comfortable together and their skill sets mesh with each other.

[ousdahl]

hmm maybe.

maybe that's cuz, although they're physically big, their skill sets are not those of traditional power forwards and centers?

[jfish26]

We don't need Dajaun to score. We score plenty without him. He played very good defense, and didn't get sucked in to taking bad shots on offense even when left wide open.

Remy didn't try to score very much. In fact he actively passed up looks to try to get other people looks. Still trying to fit in, but he’s understanding our offense much more now. After Christmas break i expect him to look fully comfortable and start having some bigger games.

JW didn't suck, but he wasn't very good. He will snap out of it.

Dave was spazzy, but still decent, especially on the interior on defense.

But the issue with Harris isn't not scoring, it's being unable to score. We're always going to have an artificially low ceiling on offense if we're running out a zero, particularly in the form of a guard who doesn't need to be attended to on the three point line.

Sound familiar?

[Deleted User 863]

We don't need Dajaun to score. We score plenty without him. He played very good defense, and didn't get sucked in to taking bad shots on offense even when left wide open.

Remy didn't try to score very much. In fact he actively passed up looks to try to get other people looks. Still trying to fit in, but he’s understanding our offense much more now. After Christmas break i expect him to look fully comfortable and start having some bigger games.

JW didn't suck, but he wasn't very good. He will snap out of it.

Dave was spazzy, but still decent, especially on the interior on defense.

But the issue with Harris isn't not scoring, it's being unable to score. We're always going to have an artificially low ceiling on offense if we're running out a zero, particularly in the form of a guard who doesn't need to be attended to on the three point line.

Sound familiar?

It sounds familiar, but other than end of game possessions it isn't a big deal. Self is adjusting how he attacks within the offense when he's left open and multiple times last night it resulted in dunks/layups for our other players.

His contributions on defense outweigh the minimal impact he's having offensively in the scoring column. And wouldn't be surprised if we are actually scoring at a higher clip with him in the game than with him out of the game. His defense created multiple easy baskets in transition.

[Deleted User 863]

hmm maybe.

maybe that's cuz, although they're physically big, their skill sets are not those of traditional power forwards and centers?

KJ has a traditional PF skill set for the most part. If he can shoot we haven't seen it.

Clemence is/can be a stretch 4 or 5 because of his shooting.

[jfish26]

We don't need Dajaun to score. We score plenty without him. He played very good defense, and didn't get sucked in to taking bad shots on offense even when left wide open.

Remy didn't try to score very much. In fact he actively passed up looks to try to get other people looks. Still trying to fit in, but he’s understanding our offense much more now. After Christmas break i expect him to look fully comfortable and start having some bigger games.

JW didn't suck, but he wasn't very good. He will snap out of it.

Dave was spazzy, but still decent, especially on the interior on defense.

But the issue with Harris isn't not scoring, it's being unable to score. We're always going to have an artificially low ceiling on offense if we're running out a zero, particularly in the form of a guard who doesn't need to be attended to on the three point line.

Sound familiar?

It sounds familiar, but other than end of game possessions it isn't a big deal. Self is adjusting how he attacks within the offense when he's left open and multiple times last night it resulted in dunks/layups for our other players.

Last night isn't relevant; UTEP is warmed-over ass.

And the first priority should be avoiding last-possession games.

[ousdahl]

Illy, if a non-scoring point guard isn’t a big deal other than end of game possessions, what do you suggest once we encounter end of game possessions?

[Deleted User 863]

But the issue with Harris isn't not scoring, it's being unable to score. We're always going to have an artificially low ceiling on offense if we're running out a zero, particularly in the form of a guard who doesn't need to be attended to on the three point line.

Sound familiar?

It sounds familiar, but other than end of game possessions it isn't a big deal. Self is adjusting how he attacks within the offense when he's left open and multiple times last night it resulted in dunks/layups for our other players.

Last night isn't relevant; UTEP is warmed-over ass.

And the first priority should be avoiding last-possession games.

Harris helps us avoid last possession games.

The alternative is Yesufu and he still looks like someone who should play at Drake.

Harris minutes aren't going to go to 10min per game. He's going to continue to be in the 20-25min range all season.

[Deleted User 863]

Illy, if a non-scoring point guard isn’t a big deal other than end of game possessions, what do you suggest once we encounter end of game possessions?

Remy, Och, CB, JW, Dave.

This isn't hard.

[Deleted User 89]

i think the difference this year with Harris is that we have so many other weapons offensively that we don’t need any scoring from him so long as he’s doing the other things

we didn’t have that luxury with MG…him not scoring put the team in a much bigger whole than Harris not scoring does

[ousdahl]

I think it’ll be a long ass time til we see a game in which neither starting guard scores a single point.

Like wtf is that shit?

[Deleted User 863]

I think it’ll be a long ass time til we see a game in which neither starting guard scores a single point.

Like wtf is that shit?

Yesufu didn't score either fwiw.

The difference is Remy and Harris both impacted the game in other ways, and Yesufu didn't.

And i mentioned it, but Remy was passing up good looks to work on being a facilitator. He easily could have had 4 or 5 more field goal attempts. We were being overly unselfish imo. Lots of over passing. But when you're up 20 all game I would much rather see unselfish play than me first stat chasing for scouts.

[ousdahl]

Not that I could ever get tired of being up 20 all game, but I’m also growing increasingly curious to see this team perform against opponents that are actually good.

[Deleted User 863]

Vegas didn't seem to think UTEP was much worse than some of the other teams we have played. We were 18pt favorites which is a similar line to 3 or 4 other games so far this season.

We have plenty of time to play good teams.

[jfish26]

Not that I could ever get tired of being up 20 all game, but I’m also growing increasingly curious to see this team perform against opponents that are actually good.

Well, you won't get your chance against Mizzou.

[Deleted User 863]

When we play tough schedules the complaints are "we need more easy games to develop players".

[CrimsonNBlue]

I think there is a good balance of good and easy. This schedule sucks.

And so does mizzou. Have to be in the bottom 3 teams we play.

[PhDhawk]

When we play tough schedules the complaints are "we need more easy games to develop players".

Different people have different thoughts.

[Deleted User 863]

And so does mizzou. Have to be in the bottom 3 teams we play.

And yet still have seen more espn commercials for that game than any game we have played in a while. A rivalry renewed.

AFH is going to be electric.